Process of making ice.



A1B, BEAM. PROCESS OF MAKING ICE. l APPLIATIONI'ILED NOV.23, 1908.

Patented-May 31,1910;-

CED

A TTGRNE vs A. E. BEALS.

PROCESSl OP MAKING ICE.

APPLIOATION FILED 11011.23g 190s.

Patented May 31,1910.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wl TNESSES l QM/M A TTORNE Y' s If raw practically in PATENT OFFICE. l

ALBERT E. BEALS, F

DETROIT, MIGHIGAN.

PROCESS 0F MAKING ICE.

959,697. Specication of I Application filed November 23, 1908. Serial No- Letters Patent. Patented May 31, 1910.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT lil. BEALS, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and tate of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Processes of Making Ice, ci) which the following is a. specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

In the process of manufacturing ice in cans or molds by means of mechanical refrigeration, thus formi blocks of uniform size, it is necessaryl in or er that the product shall beY of sufficient clea'rness and purity for commercial purposes, to eliminate as far as possible all air articles and other im uri- 'ties which are he d both in solution andpsuspension and which are always present in water in its natural or raw state. The usual method of procedure at present is to lill-the cans with water which has previously been-distilled from its impurities land then reboivled to further expel the air and foul In" order to permit the fllin the 'freezing (cans of any supplied by nature, thus o via the `expensive method of distillation, and om this water toproduce a purev and wholesome block of ice, it is necessary to provide means direct into 'ota le water as until the entire mass is congealedand the accumulation of all impurities will be concentrated in the center of the block.

In order to produce a commerciallypure vand transparent block of -ice from raw water, when frozen in a can, it is therefore necessary to keep the mass of water contin uall in motion from the finaly conclusion of the freezlng process and to further provide means .whereb the accumulated impurities are collect posited in some convenient manner to the block without the center.

This invention relates to a rocess of freezin an potable water in bloc s without predistllatlon whereby the impurities naturally in solution and in suspension inthe water are prevented from becoming'entrained in the forming'ice and whereby the accumulated impurities are eventual These results are accomplished b 1st; causing the' water to be ke t continually in Sufficient motion from the beginning to the final conclusion `vof the' process; thls, to the extent of my knowl and-experience in the art, has'not hereto ore been successfully accom lished in can ice manufacture;2nd; provi ing means whereb 'a certain extra amount of water, more t becoming trapped in whereby the air particles and otherimpuritiesare prevents from becoming entrained in the forming ice. n

water is allowed vto remain a state of rest when contained in a can during the process o 4'free' w chdpr from the .sides and bottom tower the center, t e air particles and the insoluble impurities' in suspension gather on the surface 'o the formi ice an are' thusdistributed throughout the block, while t e impurities in solutioncontinue soluble in t e remainin unrozen 'ortion of water and area ual y forced to the center ofthe bloc w ereA the solution comes concentrated and the-impll'irities'are thrown'down his methodl accordingly opa ue block of ice O n t e other hand, t continualyv in Sume process o freezing water against 'the sur ic'e prevents the air as a precipitate.A pr uces an impure and unfit for domestic use.- i f raw water is ke cient motion during t the movement of the face of the formi tic es and other lodgmel there, with the result th to forni-the block of vthe required size, and which .supplied to the can at the time of filling; ier'kept in an unfrozen state in a 'positiom eit'erior to but in direct communication. with the center co eche i AThe means used for maintaining a continua movement of the mass of 'water is the "o airiln su cient uantityto produce the .requiredresults he Volume of air thus sup lied is regulated and controlled auto- 'xnaticallly'by means which insure a practii cally regular flo'w of increasing pressure due to the increasinv ormation of ice above the air intake through which the air must maintain an open p lssage. n v

'- e invention consists'n the matters here- ;inafter Vset forth and more' particularl pointed out inthe a pended c'lalms.

anfing to the swings, Figure l is a view. of `a art-oi! the freezm tank or oor of za' refrigerating system a apted .to

remain mth@ unV zen portionof. than@ "carryout the process'v the invenbeginning to the y removed.

an that :'suicientof .the block and in' f which the accumulated impurities are finally introdiftctionthrough the bottom ,ofthe cam air against a varably and deexterior tion. Fig. 2 is a view in section thereof, on line -w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view 1n vertical section ot' one of the cans of the system, 'shovving adjacent connectlons. Fig. l is a View in det-ail of an automatlc regulating valve. Fig. 5 is a view 1n gg Y* l air pipe connection and dlschar nipple.

Referring to the drawings, 1 mdicate coils of refrigerating pipe in the brine or freezing tank of a refrigerating plant disposed in the usual manner beneath glrders or ioor beams 2 at such intervals that cans aperture of the .boss 6 extends just beloiv the level of the air inlet 8 andtheI-e Vis an air vent 11 placed substantially in, the center .of the can through the boss at one side of the tubel An air pipe 12 having a lower horizontal arm 1S screwthreaded into the inlet S of the cap, extends across the bottom and. up the side of theTcan-to which it-is secured by any convenient means. The cas-4 ing 14 of an automatic regulatngvalve is,=`

secured at its outletendV to -af fitting 15 reqi movablysupported in the lupper end of theI pipe12. ;The inlet of the valve Vis so connccted by anypreferred means, as for A'eziample, a short length, of flexible tubin vWith'one loffa series of trunklines 1 piping laid on" the sills 2, underneath the y blocks 19 between the sills.v

,a steinf24tha able stops 43Q l y A through r otherwise ylo'n "tudinally ailjujst.-

' able iu-aboiinet S35 on l covers as shown, in. any preferred. andV conv ventional manner. Thetrunklinesl are supplied with air under pressure from any suitable compressor or like available means. The can floats in the brine or freer'ing :mixture in' the tank, usually being held immersed'to the properdepth by arreniaov- A blevcrossbar 18 engaging slots in spreader The casing 14 of the valve has an tured seat Si() provided with a movable fclo-A su1e 21n'hose upper face is of greater area than the lower face. A spring 22 betvieen rthe closure and 'u l-egulating screw 23. in the bottom of the bodytends to orcethej'clo? sureawayvfrom the seat 20 but is resisted by theiiulet air pressure on top. The cle ure' has rcciprocable.motion on the lower end of vides zWistiti" hmidfwhl 3o. wherein, the

' valve I Iiayfbe' positively@ closed,E o r opened,I

il of an le or bossl -6 is securedV can by the vascending .bubbles of air the upper edge of the p .A where they (settle. i definedl or limited by {suitv theitrap isjinsulated ina measure by' T he stem isl screwthreaded' i i i u and whereby the ilow of air, through the valve may be re lated to produce the required agitationgm the Water.

The intake end of; the casing which is. secured'to the hose v16, admits air above the scat and closure and the outlet end connect ed to the fitting 15 or like connection, opens from below the seat and closure.

A horizontal plate 26 somewhat smaller than the 4upper end of the lcairis detachably secured in the u Jperend thereof as by suitable brackets 2 or the like.` l'llhe plate is centrally apcrtured4 and is'provided with an upright flange 28 aroundgf".

the opening. An overflow basin' or trap 29' is supported on the Bange at an interval above the plate.

In operatiom'the `can is filled to 'the required depth -with raw .Water and im mersed in the tank. V: Air is immediately introduced to the nipple through the automatic valve and pipe and injected into the bottom ot' the body of water, thus setting up and malntainmg a continuous movement 'f of the Water against theface of the form- As the' air enters the chamber 9 of the capz the pressure therein must equal the sum of the pressure due to thel static head joi` Water above lthe jetplus that due tothe -velocity head ofthe a1r owing through the jet which forces the water out ofthe cham ber down to the mouth of the tube 10 thus freeing the air passages of all water which would otherwise Jfreeze up and 4stop the flow. Ice forming in the bottom of thev chamber permanently sealsV the. piping 10 and the air co11tinues to liovv through-the jet 11.

As the ice thickens on the sides and bottom of the can, it increases the pressure against which the air'mu'stfescape and this increased back pressure in .conjunction With the action of lthe. spring opens the' valve to 4aproportionate extent'. and thereby'maintai'ns the required o'w'of air. A constant agitation of the Water in the center of the' revents the-lodgment o f air and impurities upon the 'surface off' the forming ice and produces a clear and transparent block.' 'At the same time the expanslon due topformaj tion of ice forces the aforementioned extla amount of water u through the top plate into the trap an( the im urities. which deposited ,in-

otherwise would collect and i the center of theblock and carriedup over flange into lthe trap the air 'space' aroundits margin and also 'between it and thel coverplate, the Water in the ltrap does not freeze and consequently; Y'

all impurities are' held thereandlthubref.

l less.

up to .the completion, of the freezing vprocpressure ivhich automatically lincreases in direct proportion to the resistance eli,- countered in a 'freezing-blockyand thereby maintaining a continuous movement ofthe Water until the final .step of the freezing Vio piocess,' all the air and other impurities in solution and in suspension are removed lfrom the block, and commercially pure and 'clear ice is obtained. Obviously changes struction may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention and II do not care to limit myself lto any particular I form or arrangement of parts.

wWhat I cla-im as my invention is 1L Theherein described method of mak.-y ing ice free from impurities by the process of freezing `Water in cans through application of a refrigeratin'g'medium to the exteri'or of a can, Which consists in confining` Water in a can Aduring the process of freez-A ing Within the space initially occupied by'it,

.l in directing the Water forced out by the ex-v pansion of the confined body through a restricted'outlet, and in maintaining circulation in the uncongealled and expelled portion of the body by forcingair therethrough until the VWhole of the confined-body of Water is solidified. f

2. .The herein described method of making ice free from impurities by the Aprocess forcing of air therethrough until the Whole of theconfined body of Water inthe can is frozen. y

3. The' herein described method of making lice free from-impurities by the process of freezing Water in @ans by application of a' refrigerating medium to the can exteriors By thus forcingia volume ofair .at a' in thel details of con-` Vthe air as the freezing progresses;

4. The herein described method of making ice free from impurities by the process l of freezing Water in. acan, by' application whichconsists inconfiningthe Water in the.

can during the process of f reeziiigv within the space initially occupied by it, ,directing the surplus Water expelled lby the expansion ,of -the confined body While the freezing progresses upwardly through a central restricted aperture, in forcing kair centrally through the body of Water in the can Whereby the air and the surplus Water escapes through the same outlet,` in continuing to force air" through the body of Water until the Whole ofthe connedbody is frozen,A

and in gradually increasing the force of a refrigerating 'medium to the exterior ofthe can,' 'which consists "in maintaining thel level of the Water-at the position assumed in theliquid state, in directing the.

surpluswvater expelled 'by the expansion of the coniined body to a point above the level through av restricted outlet, maintaining circulation in theuncongealed portion of the can contents into the outletuntil the conthe can is completely fined contents of frozen.

5. The herein described .method bf mak- 'l ing ice free from impurities by the -process of freezingwater in a can .by applicationrof a` refrigerating mveans'to the exterior. of

the can, which consists in maintaining the level of the Water While being frozen at the posit-ion assumed in the initial1state,in directing the surplus Water expelled by the expansion of the confined body upwardly through a restrictedropening, in trapping the expelled Wat-er, and forcing air through the canA contents and through' the out-let of the surpluswater, and in 'maintaining the trapped Waterinaliquid state until the Whole of the confined body is frozen.

In'testiinony whereof I affix my signature. in presence of two Witnesses. o

o VitiieSSeS:

yT. A. M. Donn,

CrR. STICKNEY.

ALBERT E. Bains..4 

